Journal box lubricant pad



May 29, 1962 M. L. ABEL ET AL JOURNAL BOX LUBRICANT PAD 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 16, 1959 s a pm m? w a .am mn y i 4 a J J J i W May 29, 1962 M. L. ABEL ET AL 3036870 JOURNAL BOX LUBRICANT PAD Filed Nov. 16, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. J7'VZ 7 7147777 BY I May 29, 1962 M. L. ABEL ET AL &036,870

JOURNAL BOX LUBRICANT PAD Filed Nov. 16, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 NVENTOR. Ir ?Z? 714 7777.

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&036376 Patented May 29, 1962 ice 3,036,870 JOURNAL BOX LUBRICANT PAD Martin L. Abel, Oak Park, and Irvin Tana, Detroit, Mich.,

assignors to Tarn Corporation, Detroit, Mish., a corporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 85.3,280 10 Claims. (Cl. 308-438) This invention relates to lubricating pads and particularly to a lubricating pad for a journal box of a railroad car.

ln the early development of the art, most railway journals Were lubricated by stuffing masses of yarn Saturated with a fluid lubricant into the journal boxes to supply the lubricant to the journal bearing surfaces by capillarity. A substantial amount of development work is now being expended on developing a lubricating pad comprising a resilient sponge-like body enclosed in a bag of some suitable material wherein a large number of relatively heavy strands of yarn are interlaced through the bag and form a plurality of loops on opposite sides of the bag. The loops are compressed against the rotating journal by the resilient body and provide the capillarity for lifting a fluid lubricant lying in a pool in the bottom of the journal box to the surface of the rotating journal.

There are serious objections to lubricating a journal in this manner, one of which is that the amount of fluid lubricant that can be deposited on the rotating journal is limited by the capillarity of the particular yarn involved, and another of which is that the changing conditions in which the lubricating pad must operate adversely affects the capillarity of the yarn.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a self-contained lubricating pad having a lubricated wicking material inside the pad Wherein the fluid lubricant is pumped out of the wicking material onto the rotating journal in large quantities Compared to prior art pads, and thereafter recirculated back to the wicking material within the pad.

It is another object of the invention to provide a selfcontained lubricating pad that will deliver large quantities of fluid lubricant to' the rotating journal without having to be placed in contact with, or saturated in, a separate pool of fluid lubricant in the bottom of the journal box.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a lubricating pad for the journals of railway cars which retains the advantages of prior 'art pads, but improves thereon by pumping the material onto the rotating journal rather than relying entirely on capillarity for delivering the fluid lubricant to the rotating journal.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a method for lubricating 'a rotatable journal of a railroad journal box comprisng pressing a pad containing a lubricated wicking material covered by a pumping layer against the rotatable journal, rotating the journal relative to the pad to pump the lubricant onto the journal, and delivering the lubricant from the journal back to the edges of the pad where it is picked up by the lubricated Wicking material and returned to the central portion of the pad in position to be pumped back onto the rotatable journal.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a self-contained lubricating pad of the foregoing type which can be easily installed and removed from a journal box for inspection and maintenance purposes, is simple and economical to manufacture and highly eflicient and dependable in operation. r

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out or otherwise become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a railroad car wheel and journal box, with the journal box partially broken away to more clearly illustrate the Components therein;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the journal box of FIG. 1, taken along the line 2- 2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lubricatng pad illustrated within the journal box of FIGS. l and 2 and emb odying features of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the pad of FIG. 3, taken along the line 4-4 thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the pad of FIG. 3, taken along the line 5-5 thereof;

FIG. 6 is a sectional View similar to that of FIG. 5 illustrating a modification of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 6 taken along the line 7-7 thereof;

FIG. 8 is a sectional View similar to that of FIG. 7 illustrating another modification of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a reduced, broken plan view of a lubricating pad illustrating another modification of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a reduced plan view of a lubricating pad illustrating another modification of the invention; and

FIG. ll is an enlarged sectional view of the pad illustrated in FIG. 10, taken along the line 11-11 thereof.

Referring to FIG. l, a lubricating pad 20 embodying features of the present invention is illustrated in position for lubricating a journal box 22 on a railroad car wheel 24. The journal box and manner in which it supports a car frame 26 on a journal 28 projecting axially from and rotating with wheel 24 is entirely conventional and, there'- fore, will not be described in detail. Briefly, however, the journal box includes a pivotally mounted cover 30 for enclosing the open end thereof, and a brass half bearing 32 engaging the upper surface of the rotating journal 28 and supporting the frame 26 and journal box thereon. A pair of guide members 34 are mounted on either side of the journal shaft to prevent the journal box from shifting laterally relative to the rotating journal 28 should the journal box move upwardly a limited distance when the railroad car is jolted severely. When railroad cars are humped, the Shock of one car striking another is transmitted through the frame 26 to the journal box 22 and oftentimes lifts the journal box 22 relative to the journal 28.

Referring to FIG. 2 as well as FIG. l, it will be observed that the lubricating pad 20 is supported in the bottom of the journal box 22 with the upper edges thereof slipped under shoulders 36 projecting inwardly from either side of the journal box. Since the pad is relatively flexible and resilient the upper surface thereof Will conform to the bottom of the rotating journal 28. The shape of the lubricating pad before it is inserted in the journal box is more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3-5. Referring specifically to FIGS. 3-5, one embodiment of the lubricating pad of the present invention comprises a resilient pad 38 preferably made of a neoprene sponge rubber material encased in a suitable bag or container 39 preferably made of tightly woven canvas fabric. The upper layer 40 of the container is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures 42, and an open mesh fabric layer 44 is secured to the underside of the upper layer in position to cover the apertures 42. The fabric layer 44 is preferably made of nylon or Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) fabric or similar materials since the fabric layer may contact the rotating journal 28 and these materials have low friction properties .and will resist wear and deterioration.

The space around the resilient pad is filled with a lubricated wicking material 46 which prefer-ably comprises a mass of very small cellulose fibers of the type described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 686,638 filed on September 27, 1957, now abandoned,

which can be saturated with and retain large quantities of the lubricating ol which is to be used for lubricating the rotating journal 28. The particular oil to be used .as determined by the bearing application, and one skilled in the art can readily pick out a good oil for lubricating the journal 28. Of course, there are also other types of wicking materials and yarns or waste on the market which could be satisfactorily used in place of the cellulose fibers. The main function of the wicking material is to retain large quantities of the selected oil, preferably without dripping, and give this oil up to the rotating journal 28 as will be described. If desired, the resilient pad 38 may also be provided with a plurality of spaced holes 48 which may also be filled with the lubricated wicking material 46 to enable a greater quantity of lubricated material to be carried in the container.

When in use the lubricating pad 20 is inserted in the journal box 22 beneath the rotating journal 28 as illustrated in FIGS. l and 2 with an annular fiange on the end of the journal overlapping the outer end of the pad, the pad being flexble and resilient enough to enable it to be stuffed under the rotating journal in this manner. The resiliency of the resilient pad 38 conforms the upper layer 40 to the under surface of the rotating journal 28 and the surface of the shaft completely covers each of the apertures 42 and provides a seal thereabout. Rotation of the journal 28 will then create a suction or reduced pressure at the apertures 42 in the upper layer 40 to suck or pump the oil from the lubricated wicking material 46, through the open mesh fabric layer 44 and on to the surface of the journal 28. As the journal rotates its entire surface will be coated With lubricant in this manner so as to lubricate the bearing surface between the brass bearing 32 and the upper surface of the rotating journal 28. As the journal makes one complete revolution in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2, for example, the oil on the surface thereof will be returned to and saturate the fabric container 39 .and the lubricated wicking material 46 at the upper left portion thereof. It will then be wicked by the container 39' and the wicking material 46 so as to be redistributed through the wicking material and eventually again pumped through the apertures 42 back onto the surface of the rotating journal 28. Thus, a recirculating system is provided, wherein the oil is pumped from the lubricated wicking material, through the apertures 42 onto the lower surface of the journal, carried in .a counter-clockwise direction to lubricate the hearing surface of the brass bearing 32, and thereafter returned to the lubricated wicking material in the pad. In this manner the upper layer 40 with the apertures 42 therein acts as a pumping layer that pumps the oil from the wicking material. It is apparent that the upper layer could also be made of an impervious fiexible material, such as a suitable plastic or resin, and still function as the pumping layer as long as the apertures 42 are provided therein.

The pumping action that is obtained by virtue of the journal 28 rotating past the apertures 42 is believed to result from the aforementioned reduced pressure created at the apertures 42 which enables the pressure in the atmosphere surrounding the lubricating pad to force the oil from the lubricated wicking material through the apertures. This phenomenon also occurs in metal bearings, such as porous sintered metal bushings which support a rotating shaft and wherein a lubricated wicking material is contained in a reservoir surrounding the bushing. The oil in the lubricated wicking material will pass through the small interstices of the porous sintered bushing due to capillarity and will wet the surface of the shaft. However, as soon as the shaft begins to rotate, a pumping action is created which literally sucks the oil from the interstices on one-half of the inner surface of the bushing to provide larger quantities of oil for lubricating the shaft than can be provided by capillarity alone. Applicants have discovered that this phenomenon can also be advantageously applied to the fabric lubricating pad illustrated in the drawings .as well.

In the preferred embodiment of the pad the apertures 42 are approximately one to one and one-half inches in diameter, and the openings in the mesh of the fabric layer 44 are approximately one millimeter square, the individual fibers being approximately 1.33 millimeters in thickness with 23/45 fibers p.s.. Of course, these dimensions may vary considerably and still provide the desired pumping action and, therefore, it is to be understood that they are only given by way of example of a preferred embodiment which appears to provide the best pumping action.

If desired, the size of the apertures 42, as wel] as the number of apertures can be varied to regulate the amount of oil which is pumped onto the rotating journal, and the holes in the pad may also be placed in predetermined positions to control the quantities of oil pumped onto different portions of the journal. Further, the configuration of the holes may be changed to a teardrop shape 47 as illustrated in FIG. 9, or slots 49 as illustrated in FIG. l'O, or other suitable configurations. It is believed that when the teardrop shape of the holes is employed, the narrow ends of the holes provide an increased capillarity for wetting the journal 28 regardless of whether it is rotating and the wider center portion of the holes facilitates the pumping action when the journal begins to rotate. Also, if desired, the upper layer 40 of the pad may be provided with loops of yam 51 to enh ance the wicking action between the slots 49 in the pad which provide the pumping action. The pad 20 may also be provided with suitable tabs 50, or the like, to facilitate its removal from the journal box and, if desired, a Zipper 52 may be provided on the end of the pad to provide access to the materials within the pad.

It is also noted that the pumping action described above can also be accomplished if the entire upper layer 40 is removed to expose and place only the open mesh fabric layer 44 against the rotating journal 28. The small openings in the fabric are analogous to the apertures 42, and create the pumping action to draw the lubricating oil from the wicking material 46. The amount of oil which is drawn from the wicking material may be smaller, but for some applications it may be desirable to rely solely on the pumping action created by the fabric layer 44. Therefore, in its broadest form the present invention teachcs the lubrication of a bearing surface by placing a lubricated wicking material against the hearing surface to be lubricated with a flexible, apertured barrier layer therebetween which cooperates with the moving hearing surface to create the pumping action for drawing the oil from the wicking material. consequently, although the present invention is illustrated in the form of a lubricating pad for a journal box, it is apparent that in its broader aspects the invention can find application in other types of bearings.

By way of example, the lubricated wicking material can be advantageously employed by placing it in a fabric container or sleeve of suitable material, such as nylon, having the open mesh weave as previously described. The container can then be suitably retained against a movable bearing surface and will create the desired pumping action for drawing the oil from the wicking material, the apertures in the container preferably being small enough to prevent the wicking material from being pulled out of the container, but large enough to provide the desired pumping action.

An example of such a fabric container or sleeve is illustrated in FIG. 8 wherein a relatively flat rectangular sleeve 54 of the previously described open mesh nylon material is filled with the lubricated wicking material 46 and positioned on top of the resilient pad 38. In this embodiment the resilient pad 38 is not provided with the holes 48 and the sleeve 54 contains the lubricated wicking material 46 so that it can be retained in position on top of the resilient &036370 pad 38 s'o that it can engage the rotating journal 28 directly to create the pumping action. If this arrangement is employed, a nylon or Tefion fabric material, or the equivalent, would preferably be employed in making the sleeve 54 to reduce friction and resist deterioration. If desired, the upper fabric layer 40 having the apertures 42 therein may also be provided as previously illustrated in FIGS. 1-7. From the foregoing it is apparent that the specific configuration of a lubrcating pad illustrated in the drawings may be Varied considerably, and that pad can assume a number of configurations and still accomplsh the primary requirement of the present invention, i.e., that means be provided maintaining the lubricated wicking material against the rotatng journal 28 With the apertured fabric barrier layer therebetween to create the pumping action. It is also apparent that if the present nvention is used for a bearing application Wherein the bearing member that is equivalent to the journal 28 does not shift laterally, it would not be necessary to provide the resilient pad 38.

j Another feature of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 8 wheren a layer of impervious material 53 is positioned between the sleeve 54 and the resilient pad 38 to prevent lubrcating fluid being drawn or leaking from the wicking material 46 into the resilient pad. When the small cellulose fibers mentioned above as the preferred lubrcating wicking material is employed, the lubricant will not tend to drip or be drawn from the wicking material and, therefore, the irnpervious layer 53 need not necessarily be provided.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments herein illustrated are well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoned claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railroad journal box surrounding a rotating journal, a lubrcating pad adapted to be positioned within the journal box beneath the rotating journal comprising a core of resilient material, a layer of lubricated wicking material on the upper side of said core, a fleXible covering encasng said core and the lubricated wicking material thereon, the upper layer of said covering comprising a flexible pumping layer having a plurality of relatively large apertures therein adapted to cooperate with the journal when it rotates to create a pumping action for drawing lubrcating fluid from the lubricated wicking material, and an open mesh fabric layer Secured to the undersde of said upper layer and covering the apertures therein to prevent the wicking material from escaping while enabling the lubrcating fluid to freely pass therethrough.

2. A lubrcating pad adapted to be positioned within a journal box beneath a rotating journal therein comprising `a core of resilient material, a sleeve filled with a lubricated wicking material positioned on the upper side of said core, a flexible covering enclosing said core and said sleeve, the upper surface of said sleeve comprising an open mesh fabric having a plurality of openings therein small enough to prevent the wicking material from escaping and large enough to enable the lubricant to pass therethrough, a portion of said covering extending over the upper surface of said sleeve and having a plurality of large apertures therein adapted to cooperate with the rotating journal to create a pumping action to draw the lubrcating fluid from the lubricated wicking material.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 including a layer of impervious material positioned between said resilient core and the sleeve to prevent lubricant from dripping or being drawn from the wicking material into the resilient core.

4. A lubrcating pad adapted to lubricate a rotating journal comprising a l-ayer of lubricated wicking material, means for encasng said lubricated wicking material, one face of said encasng means comprising a flexible pumping layer adapted to conform to the surface of said journal,

aperture means in said pumping layer -adapted to cooperate with the journal When it rotates to create a pumping action for drawing lubricant from the wicking material, means positioned between said one face and the lubricated wicking material and covering said aperture means so as to prevent the wicking material from passing therethrough -but enable the lubricant to pass therethrough, and means within said encasng means for urging said lu-bricated wicking material against said one face and for urging said one face against the surface of said journal.

5. A lubrcating pad adapted to lubricate a rotatng journal or the like comprising a layer of lubricated wicking material made up of a plur-ality of finely macerated cellulose fibers impregnated with a bearing oil, a flexible fabric-like means' `for encasng said lubricated wicking material, one face of said fabric-like means comprising a flexible pumping layer adapted to conform to the surface of said journal, aperture means in said pumping layer adapted to cooperate with the journal when it rotates to create -a pumping action for drawing lubricant from the wicking material, means positioned between said one face and the lubricated wicking material and covering said aperture means so as to prevent the wicking material from passing therethrough but enable the lubricant to pass therethrough, and resilient means within said fabric-like encasng means for urging said lubrcating wicking material against said one face and for urging said one face against the surface of said journal.

6. A lubrcating device comprising a flexi ble container filled with a lubricated wicking material made from finely macerated cellulose fibers impregnated with a hearing oil, at least a portion of one face of said container providing a pumping layer having a plurality of openings therein, said openings being large enough to enable both the oil and the wicking material to readly pass therethrough and to cooperate with a moving bearing surface slidably engaged by said one face to create a pumping action for drawing lubricant from said wicking material, and material covering said openings which enables the hearing oil to pass therethrough but prevents the wicking material from passing therethrough.

7. In a railroad journal box surrounding a rotating journal, a lubrcating pad adapted to be positioned vw'thin the journal 'box beneath the journal comprising a core of resilient material, a layer of lubricated wicking material on at least the upper side of said core, a tightly woven fabric covering encasng said core and the lubricated wicking material thereon, said fabric including an upper layer extending over said lubricated wicking material and adapted to slidably engage the rotating journal, said upper layer having aperture means therein adapted to cooperate with the journal when it rotates to create a pumping action for drawing lubrcating fluid from the lubricated wicking material.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7 including an open mesh fabric covering said aperture means, said open mesh fabric being pervious to the flow of lubrcating fluid therethrough but preventing the wicking material from passing therethrough.

9. A method of lubrcating a rotatable journal in a journal `box of a railroad car, which includes the steps of, providing a lubrcating pad having aperture means in the central portion of the upper surface thereof and a lubricated wicking material therein eXtending beneath said upper surface, positioning the pad in the journal box with the apertured central portion of the upper surface pressed against the under side of the rotatable journal and the side portions of the upper surface extending laterally outwardly from the journal, creating a pumping action by rotating the journal past the aperture means to draw the lubricant from said lubrcating wicking material through the aperture means and onto the surface of the journal, delivering the lubricant which escapes from the surface of the journal to the side edge portions of the pad and the lubricated wicking material therebeneath, and redistributing the lubricant from the side edegs portions through the lubricated Wicking material 'back to the central portion of the pad where it can be purnped back through the aperture means and onto the surface of the rotating journal in a manner to provide a completely self-contained recirculating system.

10. A method of lubricating a rotatable journal in a journal box of a railroad car, which includes the steps of, providing a self-contained lubricating pad having a lubricated wicking material theren and aperture means in the central portion of the upper surface thereof, positioning the pad in the journal box with said central portion pressed against the under side of the journal, rotating the journal past the aperture means to create a pumping action to draw the lubricant from :said lubricated wicking material through the aperture means and onto the surface of the journal, delivering the lubricant which escapes from the surface of the journal to the side edges of the pad, and

8 redistributing the lubricant from the side edge of the pad through the lubricated Wicking material back to the central portion of the pad Where it can be pumped back through the aperture means and onto the surface of the rotating journal in a manner to provide a completely self-contained recirculating lubricating system.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 368,937 Flynt Aug. 30, 1887 2,l23,l68 Conradson July 12, 1938 2,250,8l1 Pearce July 29, 1941 2,820,679 Hoyer et al. Jan. 21, 1958 2,869944 Barton et al Jan. 20, 1959 2,920,928 Burkart et al Jan. 20, 1960 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,036,870 May 29, 1962 Martin L Abel et al.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent-should read as corrected below.

Columr 3 lir e 3, for "as" read is --3 column 6, line 2 for "lubrcatng" read lubricated --3 same column 6, lne 75, for "edegs" read edge Signed and sealed this 11th day of September 1962.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID L. D Attesting officer Commissioner of Patents 

